


When a Prankster Gets His Girl

by way1203



Series: When a Prank [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-07
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2017-11-07 05:27:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/427365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/way1203/pseuds/way1203
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fred, George and Sarah continue their lives outside of Hogwarts. Will George and Sarah get married and have kids? How did Sarah and the twins get so close at Hogwarts? What was it like for her with her father in Azkaban? Sequel to 'When a Prank Goes Too Far'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Goodbyes and Reunions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/2017

"It is my hope that as you leave Hogwarts for the last time, your lives be filled with happiness and success. Congratulations students and good luck!"

McGonagall gave us all a reassuring smile as she completed her speech and clapped. Following the Headmistress's lead, the lawn erupted in cheers and applause. I looked from an excited Harry to a grateful Ron, and finally to a tearful Hermione. I couldn't believe this was it. Once the applause finished, the boats we were in would begin rowing and lead us to the other side of the lake. Part of me didn't want the applause to end, and the other part of me was ready to be finished with classes and start my adult life. Of course, moments later, the applause ended and the boats began to move.

"We did it!" Harry yelled. "We made it!"

Cheers of agreement erupted amongst me and my fellow seventh years. He was right. After all the scary situations, classes, and…well…everything, we had made it. We had graduated! Music filled my ears as the school song began to play and my fellow classmates and Professors began to sing along.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy warty Hogwarts, teach us something please. Whether we be old and bald, or young with scabby knees!"

Hermione sobbed the lyrics while Ron wrapped his arms lovingly around her. The two of them were planning on moving in together and possibly getting married in the near future. Harry looked at the two of them and then back at the lawn, where Ginny began to fade into the distance. At my last glance of her, I noticed her eyes were as tearful as Hermione's. There was no doubt that Ginny was contemplating her final year at Hogwarts without him. I couldn't blame her. I was in her position last year when Fred and George graduated.

"Our heads could do with filling, with some interesting stuff. For now they're bare and full of air, dead flies and bits of fluff."

It was heartbreaking last year to see George in the boat next to Fred, waving back at me while I bawled my bloody eyes out. By that time, my back was healed and my relationship with the twins, especially George, was stronger than ever. I remember that George had given me a kiss before their ceremony and promised me that we would see each other over the summer and holidays, and that he would write me during my seventh year.

He had kept to that promise.

"So teach us things worth knowing, bring back what we've forgot. Just do your best, we'll do the rest, and learn until our brains all rot."

"Farewell, graduates!" McGonagall called, her voice amplified by her wand. "Best of luck to each and every one of you! You will all be missed."

McGonagall's farewell made me want to cry. She had been somewhat of a mum to every one of her Gryffindors, and leaving Hogwarts meant never seeing her again. I quickly took out my wand and held it in the air. A dim light emitted from its tip while I wiped a stray tear. I could feel the eyes of my classmates on me, but I simply didn't care. This was my goodbye to my school and home: Hogwarts.

"I'll miss you McGonagall," I whispered. "You and Dumbledore, thank you for everything. Thank you, Hagrid, as well."

Hermione looked up at me, her bottom lip wavering as he lifted her wand, her dim light joining mine. "Thanks…to all of my Professors and Hagrid. I'll miss you all, even Grawp."

"Thanks Hagrid," Ron chuckled, his wand joining ours. "I'll never follow the spiders again."

"Thank you, Professor Sprout," Neville lifted his wand.

"Thank you McGonagall, Dumbledore, Hagrid," Harry followed.

I could hear various 'thanks' to Professors and see that my wand light was no longer alone in the early morning sky. Across a few boats, I could see that even Draco Malfoy had raised his wand was muttering something under his breath. Probably thanks to Professor Snape for putting up with his arrogance over the years. It wasn't until we were close to the shore that we finally put our wands down.

"This is it," sniffed Hermione.

Neville looked back at the castle, "It's not goodbye. We'll still talk to each other."

"Yeah," Seamus grinned, "just not as often."

I gave him a playful shove. "Besides, if we hear of anything catching fire suddenly, we'll know who's behind it."

"Oh hardy-har! I haven't caused a fire or blown anything up since October!"

We enjoyed a laugh as the boats met the shore. Hogwarts was far away at this point and would be for the rest of our lives. We would never see a Hogwarts letter again—well, at least until we had children. My fellow graduates and I exchanged hugs, saying our final goodbyes before the train came.

Our final ride on the Hogwarts Express consisted of longing and reminiscence. Hermione and I couldn't stop crying, even though we both knew, that quite possibly, one day soon, we might end up being sister-in-laws. Harry and Ginny spent their last train ride sitting side-by-side, assisting Ron in trying to get me and Hermione to calm down.

"Come on you two," Ron held Hermione. "It's not like you two are never going to see each other again."

Ginny agreed, "Yeah. We're going to have a celebration dinner tonight. Remember?"

"Sarah, didn't you say Fred and George were going to take you to the Burrow to join us?" asked Harry.

"I did," I sniffed. "I just…I'm going to miss Hogwarts a lot. I'm going to miss not seeing you lot every day."

"Exactly," said Hermione, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Deep down, I knew Hermione was going to miss the acquisition of new knowledge more than anything else.

"You'll see us more than enough," Ron assured us. "Stop crying you two. It really isn't goodbye forever."

He had a point, they all did, yet it took nearly half the train ride for me to calm myself down and drift into acceptance. Once the train stopped, I gathered my belongings and ran, for the last time, out of the portal between Platforms 9 and 10.

"Sarah!"

The sight of Fred and George brought me instant delight. George wore a white dress shirt and baby blue tie, while Fred wore a light purple shirt and white tie. Both wore grey slacks and vests, and beamed at me as I approached them. I stepped away from my trolley and threw my arms around the twins. It'd been some time since I'd last hugged the two of them.

"Aww, bless her," said Fred. "I reckon she missed us, Georgie. Don't you?"

George nodded, "I think so."

"As much as I love making a Sarah sandwich, I think George would much rather hugging you without me involved."

"You make it sound like I'm jealous or desperate."

I laughed and released them, wriggling out of my position between the two of them. "I've missed you two so, so much. You have no idea."

Fred beamed, "It's good to have you back, Princess."

I turned my attention to George. His eyes creased at their corners as his lips curled into a wide, toothy, grin. The urge to kiss him was overwhelming. I'd sorely missed him, and it'd been months since I'd had physical contact with him. George wrapped an arm around my torso, I tilted my head, and our mouths met. I held onto his shoulder with my left hand and grazed his neck with my right. I closed my eyes, leaning further into him. A few short pecks led to George taking my bottom lip between his lips. He cupped my jaw, my lips parted, and we entered a shallow kiss. Our tongues touched one another's, playful and experimentally at first, then more determined and purposeful. I draped my arm over his shoulder and his hand inched down my hip.

"You two aren't alone, you know."

Fred's reminder made us separate. My cheeks grew hot. "Erm, sorry. I...sorry."

"Sorry…" George's voice cracked and cleared his throat. "Um, Sarah-doll, I've really missed you."

"I've definitely gathered that." I looked up at him with a grin. "I missed you, too. This year taught me that I'd rather not be separated from you again."

"Really?"

"Of course. I love you, George. I honestly can't imagine being with anyone else."

"Well, that's good to hear because," George took a deep breath. "I have something I want—no—I need to give you, Sarah."

"Alright. What is it?"

He reached into the pocket of his slacks and removed a small black velvet box. He gave me a sheepish look, "Um, this?"

My breath hitched in my throat. George got down on his left knee. There was suddenly a weight about the situation. I brought a hand to my mouth and knitted my eyebrows. My heart beat madly as though I'd just finished running up the stairs. I looked over at Fred who, with a wink and lift of his eyebrows, only confirmed what was happening. George looked me square in the eyes.

"Sarah?"

"George?" The shakiness of my voice matched how wobbly my legs felt.

"I really, really, fancy you, Sarah. I can't see myself with anyone else but you. This past year was hard on the both of us, I know. It made me realize that I don't want to go through any more years without you by my side. If you don't mind, I just wanted to ask you a quick question. Sarah Jane Stone-Black," George lifted the lid of the box to reveal three small, round diamonds joined together on a solid silver band. It was modest, gorgeous, perfect. "Will you marry me?"

A sob left my throat. I struggled to verbalize my response, so I nodded vigorously instead.

His jaw slackened. "You will?"

"Yes."

The sound of applause erupted around King's Cross. George got to his feet and slid the ring on my finger. I looked down at my hand where the ring was even more beautiful. My fiancé shared a gentle kiss, then pressed our foreheads together.

"So, Sarah," said Harry. "What was that you were saying about not being able to see us lot every day?"


	2. First Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/2017

"Your mum looked so pleased. She couldn't stop gushing."

I removed my shoes and plopped onto the sofa. George and I had just returned from the Burrow where, in addition to celebrating graduation, we celebrated our engagement as well. We had every intention on announcing the news to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley midway through the festivities. We wanted it to be a surprise. I turned my ring around and attempted to hide my hand beneath my sleeve, but as soon as we entered the Burrow it was all for naught. The moment I walked into the house and Mrs. Weasley pulled me into a hug, I believe she somehow knew. She held onto my hands and pulled back to get a look at me.

"It's wonderful to see you, Sarah, dear," Mrs. Weasley had said. "You're glowing."

She paused for a moment, then looked down at my left hand. I knew then that we were found out. She turned the ring around and screamed.

"George Weasley!" She looked up at the man standing beside me. "I can't believe it! _You proposed_?! How could you come home with Sarah and try to keep this from me? The first words out of your mouth should have been _'Mum, I've asked Sarah to marry me_ '!"

George rubbed the back of his neck. "Mum, I've asked Sarah to marry me."

She pointed at Fred, who'd just walked into the house. "This was your idea."

His eyes widened. "What? _Me?_ It was George."

"You boys..." Mrs. Weasley shook her head, then turned her attention back to me. I smiled. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was my idea. Somehow I think she knew. Mrs. Weasley took my face in her hands. "This is excellent news, Sarah. I'm so proud to have you in the family. It's about time, isn't it?"

The moments following involved quite a lot of hugging. I was glad to be alone in twins's flat with George. Fred reckoned George and I needed some time alone, if not to discuss our future plans, then to consummate our engagement. Sometimes I wondered how much Fred knew about the more intimate matters of George and my relationship.

"I believe the last time I saw her this happy was when Ginny was born." George slipped off his shoes. "She'd finally gotten the girl she always wanted and she was ecstatic."

"I'm not sure how your mum could sense we were engaged," I said. "I don't know why I thought I could hide it from her."

"Don't think on it. Mum just always knows things, particularly if Fred or I are hiding something from her."

"Then how did you get past her all those years?"

"Loads of practice," George sat beside me. "Now, since we're alone, I'd like to focus solely on my fiancée."

"Oh?" I grinned.

"Mm-hmm."

Our lips met slowly as our eyes closed. We started out granting each other a few passionate pecks, but things quickly gave way to deeper kisses. I nipped at his bottom lip and pulled him closer. George sucked on my top lip, our tongues dipped into each other's mouths. He guided me back against the sofa until we were lying chest to chest. I bent my knees as he nestled himself between my legs. The feeling of his pelvis against mine caused me to moan.

"Are you comfortable?" asked George.

I nodded and we continued. My fingers brushed against the skin at the small of his back. George sat up on his knees and I assisted him in removing his vest. Instead of kissing me again, he began to suck the sensitive patch of skin just beneath my ear. I gasped, shutting my eyes at the feeling of his tongue against my neck. I untucked George's shirt and worked to unbutton it despite my shaky hands. Once I was done, George slid it past his shoulders, then tossed it to the floor. I bit my lip at the sight of his bare chest. I tried to swallow my nerves. I could feel myself growing wetter at the idea of possibly having sex with him tonight.

We'd been in this position a few times before, horizontal, our hands exploring one another, our intentions dirty. The times before when we'd gotten this far, we were interrupted by Fred and, on one occasion, Harry. Regardless of how close we may have been, George and I hadn't managed to take that final step. I hoped tonight would be different. George kissed his way back to my lips.

"George?" I sighed.

He caught my eyes. "Yes, Sarah?"

" _I…._ "

" _Me too_."

I lifted my hips, allowing him to pull my jeans down my legs. I used my feet to toss them away and wrapped my legs around his waist. George gave an inward moan.

"Sarah...are you sure you want to do this? I don't want to rush you."

"Yes." I touched his cheek. "I want this."

"And you're positive? I mean, you're sure you're ready?"

"George, I'm positive. I'm ready. Are you?"

"I'm ready."

"Brilliant."

George's lips crashed onto mine as he played with the hem of my shirt. I lifted my arms and he quickly pulled it over my head. We shared another kiss, this one sloppy and rushed. I shoved his slacks past his hips and he kicked them away. George's hand reached inside my knickers and rubbed gentle circles against my clit. I whimpered.

He kissed my ear. "What's the matter, Sarah-doll? _Does it feel good?_ "

A moan left my lips. Between his tone and the sensation between my legs, if he carried on this way, I was going to come. I rocked against his hand. George slipped two fingers inside me. My eyes widened, my back arched, and his name spilled from my lips.

"Yes, Sarah?"

"I can't wait anymore," I heard myself breathe. "George, I need you."

I was getting closer. He removed his hand and grinned down at me. His voice, although rough with desire, had an air of nonchalance when he spoke. "You need me to what, Sarah?"

He was teasing me on purpose. I growled in frustration and tugged his underwear to his thighs, before removing my own.

"Oh," George smirked, "I see. You want me to shag you, don't you?"

"Yes! I need you to shag me, make love to me, _fuck me_ , whatever you want to call it! I just need you n-"

George silenced me with a kiss, pouring his passion into the connection between our lips. I allowed my hands to travel down his toned shoulders and back until they rested on his arse. Once he positioned himself against me, he broke the kiss and grabbed his wand. I watched him murmur a spell that would give us protection. He placed his wand back on the side table and lifted my chin. This was it. George would be my first.

"Sarah-doll, I'm going to try my hardest not to make it hurt for you. Alright?"

"Alright." I ran my hand through his hair. "I reckon it's going to twinge a bit no matter how careful you are."

He gave me a small smile, "Are you ready?"

Widening my legs, I placed my hands on his shoulders and nodded again. George carefully pushed forward, giving me a moment with every inch to allow myself to get used to him. Before I knew it, he had pulled out and thrust himself back in. A moan rose in his throat and mine as our pace increased. I lifted my hips and George held onto my bottom, driving himself that much deeper as we rocked together. His pounding grew faster. I admired how he managed to bottom out over and over again. It was then that I realized just how loud we were breathing between the sighs and moans.

"I'm...close," I gasped.

George must have felt the same because he closed his eyes and buried his face in my neck. "Me too."

Without warning, we changed positions. George sat on the sofa normally and I settled onto his lap. I steadied myself on his member. He pushed my bottom downward while he thrust his pelvis upward. As I rode him, a wave of pleasure rose higher inside me. Our hips grew more erratic in their grinding. I felt myself tighten around him. I was certain we were both about to come. He removed my bra and pinched my nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

My body grew tense. I gripped the back of the sofa. " _George_...fuck...I love you..."

"I love you, too, Sarah-doll." His lips traced my jawline.

Not two seconds later, I was overwhelmed by my own pleasure. My head tilted backward and I cried out. His name fell off my tongue in a series of cracked syllables. George followed shortly after, spilling himself inside me as he shouted in relief. We rode out our orgasms until we'd both had had enough. He held me close, both of us trembling, until we settled down. I lowered my lips onto his. In the afterglow, he was gorgeous.

George brushed a lock of hair from my eyes. "Blimey, you're beautiful."

"You're not bad yourself."

"How was it, Sarah-doll?"

"Not bad for sofa sex," I joked. "But honestly that was...wow. Thank you. That was fantastic."

"It was for me, too. You know, I wasn't exactly planning on doing this here, on the sofa," said George. "But I couldn't wait. I needed you."

"Where did you want to do it?" I asked.

"I'd intended to shag you in a bed, for starters. This was my first time, yours as well. I wanted to do this in my bedroom. You know, do it properly."

"Oh, love." I kissed his nose. "Since when have either of us been proper?"

George beamed. "I bloody love you, you know that?"

"How much?"

"Lie down and let me show you."


	3. Umbridge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/2017

_I quietly entered the Gryffindor common room. The searing pain in the back of my hand made my stomach clench. After what I'd been through, I didn't want to speak to anyone, I didn't want dinner, I just wanted to go to bed. I walked past the sofa just as Fred and George sat up._

_"Sarah!"_

_I nearly screamed._

_The twins laughed. "Did we scare you?"_

_"Just a bit," I sighed. "Good job."_

_"Where've you been?" asked Fred._

_"Yeah." George rested his chin on the back of the couch. "Classes got out an hour or so ago."_

_"You're not being naughty without us, are you?"_

_"Did you get detention?"_

_"No!" I blurted. "I was in the library…um…studying."_

_The two of them looked at me skeptically for a moment and then shrugged. I mentally sighed in relief. I didn't want to tell them where I was, or what had happened._

_"Come sit down," Fred offered._

_George patted a space between them, "We saved a spot for you."_

_Today hadn't been a good day and there was nothing the twins could do to change that._

_"I think I'll pass today, you two," I declined. "Maybe tomorrow?"_

_Fred and George peered at me with a mixture of amazement and worry. I didn't blame them. Almost every day, the three of us would sit and do homework, chat, relax, or plan. Barring sickness, it was rare that I declined participation in one of our rituals._

_"Sarah," asked Fred, "what is wrong?"_

_They would undoubtedly worry if I told them. So I shook my head, "Nothing. Just tired is all."_

_I began to walk to my dormitory when someone caught my arm. It was George._

_"What aren't you telling us?" His eyes scanned me. "Something is wrong, isn't it?"_

_"I'm not keeping anything from you." I rubbed my nose with my right hand. "I-I'm fine."_

_Fred rolled his eyes, "We've known you for a long time Sarah. We know when you're lying to us."_

_"Sarah, please sit down and tell us," George reasoned._

_"If you don't, you know one of us will pick you up-"_

_"-while the other makes you talk."_

_I looked around nervously, chewing my bottom lip. I wasn't in the mood to be tickled. They had me cornered. I walked around to the front of the couch, dropped my school bag, and sat down between them._

_"Very good, Princess," Fred tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "Now, what is it you're not telling us?"_

_George sat forward slightly so he could get a good glimpse of my face. My eyes darted self-consciously to my left hand. I heaved a sigh of relief. The sleeves of my robe were just long enough that they covered the back of my hands. Suddenly, George grabbed my injured hand and pushed up my sleeve. I swore in my head. He must've followed my eyes._

_Both Fred and George gasped. "Sarah, what is this?"_

_"Nothing you two should worry yourselves about," I lied._

_"Sarah..." Fred carefully ran his fingers over the long, horizontal markings that were etched into my skin. "Sarah, this is fresh."_

_"I know."_

_It was George's turn to look over my hand. He touched the bright red cuts, "Sarah…are those words?"_

_"Bloody hell," said Fred. "You're right."_

_"What does that say?"_

_"I...must…"_

_They both focused on my hand, "'I must not tell lies'?"_

_"Oh, Princess..."_

_"It was Umbridge, wasn't it?" asked George._

_My voice was dry as I spoke, "I defended Sirius. She gave me a detention in her office. That horrid office that's covered in pink and has cats all over the bloody walls. She gave me this quill and told me to write those words on a piece of parchment. She said something about letting it sink in. I felt the cuts burn while I was writing. It...it...boys...it hurt so much."_

_"Relax," Fred rubbed my shoulder. "You're with us now. You'll be okay."_

_"You should have heard the things she said about him, about Sirius."_

_"Did she say them during detention?" Fred questioned._

_"Of course not! It was after Dark Arts class. I was packing up my things and she came up to me. Everyone else was leaving, and I told Harry to go on when he wanted to wait for me."_

_George shook his head and said, "You should have let Harry stay, Sarah-doll."_

_"You're right, I should have. At least I would have had some back up. I will if it happens again." I balled my fist. "Umbridge called Sirius a murderer and blamed him for Bellatrix escaping. I know the Prophet's been saying similar things, but hearing it come from her mouth…. She even said that I was destined to become a murderer like him, that she'll make sure that there would be a cell in Azkaban waiting with my name on it. I snapped on her. Told her she was wrong, told her Sirius is innocent, that he'd never harm anyone, that he'd never let Bellatrix out. I also added a few obscenities and topped it off by calling her a toad-faced bitch. I'm lucky that I got away with an hour of detention and this scar. She had me writing this so many times that my hand started to bleed. I was just so angry."_

_I thought back to sitting in her office, staring at the annoying plates on the wall. I thought about the noise the porcelain made when I'd caused a few of them to break, and the way Umbridge's smug face contorted into frustration. I hung my head and looked at my scarred hand._

_Fred ran his thumb over my knuckles. "It's over now. Just try to forget about it the best you can, alright?"_

_"How can I forget about it? She practically tortured me and I have the bloody proof on the back of my hand. As much as my mum hates Umbridge, there's no way she's going to believe this one."_

_"Sarah."_

_Fred rubbed my knee while George held my hand. Their voices blended as they spoke. "We're so, so sorry."_

_"It's fine." I rested my head on George's shoulder, "It's not your fault."_


	4. Traits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is mention of Sarah's heritage and use of "ginger" to refer to individuals with red hair and freckles.
> 
> Edited 2/2017

Sunlight poured through the windows. I rubbed my eyes and took in my surroundings. To start, I was in George's bed. His deep blue sheets were wrapped around my body, his matching comforter half on the bed, half on the floor. I realized I was quite naked. We'd carried on in his bedroom well after our session on the sofa. I blinked a few times. Fred's bed sat across the room still made up. Oh good, he truly had left us to ourselves. I glanced down at my left hand. The ring was still there. It hadn't been a dream. Things were quiet, save for George's soft and even breathing. He lied on his side, his arms around my waist. I rolled over and faced him.

"I love you, George." I whispered.

George stirred slightly and muttered, "Mm…love you too…Sarah."

"You're just really cute when you're sleeping."

"Not sleeping…just give me a minute."

I ran my fingers through George's hair and waited for him to open his eyes. When he did a few moments later, there was a wide grin on his face.

"Hi."

"Hello there."

George lowered his lips onto mine. I returned the kiss as I rolled onto my back and he got on top of me.

"Sarah, you did tell your mum that we're engaged, didn't you?"

I froze. My mum had to work late last night, so she couldn't pick me up from the station or go to the party. I meant to send an owl telling her the good news, but the party at the Weasley's was so much fun that I forgot. I brought my hand to my forehead and groaned. Mum was going to flip.

"I'll take that as a 'no', then." George kissed my forehead. "Well, love, do you want to send an owl or do you want to go see her?"

"Do you still have that phone lying about somewhere?" I questioned.

Even though phones weren't a very common source of communication in the Wizarding world, Fred and George had one in their shop. They occasionally used it for the occasional long distance order, but mainly kept it around for me to use whenever I spent the night. I used it to talk to my mum or receive calls from grandparents on my mum's side. Grampee is a Muggle and, while he embraced the Wizarding World, our communication methods were hard for him to get used to over the years.

"You want to give her a ring?" asked George.

I nodded and watched as he got out of bed. I sat up, covering myself with his sheets. Seeing his naked arse sent a rush to blood to my cheeks.

"Here you go," he handed the wireless phone to me. "Hang on, were you checking me out?"

"Maybe." I took the phone and dialed mum's number. I placed the phone to my ear. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Well," George sat behind me and ran his fingers up my sides, "to start I'd-"

There was an eager knocking on the door. "Oi! You two not still shagging in there, are you?"

We exchanged looks. I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle my laughter.

"What's it to you?" asked George.

"I'm about to open the shop, so keep your moaning to a minimum."

"Sarah! Hello, Sarah?" My mum's voice filled my right ear, "Is that you, sweetie?"

I had almost forgotten that I was on the phone. "Oh! Morning, mum! How are you?"

"Sarah!" said mum. "I'm great, love. Me boss gave me a couple days off! He reckons I've been overworked. How are you? How was graduation?"

"Fine, I-"

"George!" Fred's voice came from behind the door, "Are you two naked in there? I need to grab something."

George groaned, "Fred, we shagged last night, what do you think? Now leave us alone. I'll be out in a bit."

I put my hand on the receiver, "Hey! Will you two shush? I'm talking to mum!"

"Whose mum?" asked Fred. "Your mum or ours?"

"Does it matter? They're both my mums now! Now, go away!" I removed my hand. "Sorry about that, what were you s-"

"What did you mean by that, Sarah Jane?" Mum's tone shifted. "What do you mean you have two mums now?"

I looked down at the ring on my finger and sighed. "Don't flip out all right? Yesterday, the boys met me at Kings Cross. Erm...George pulled me aside and—"

"He proposed, didn't he?"

"Yes. Yes, he did. You're not upset are you?"

I don't believe she heard anything after the word yes. She was squealing like a first year. I held the phone away from my ear. The last time I'd heard her scream this way was the summer Dad returned after Harry freed him.

George lifted his eyebrows. "Is she upset?"

"Upset?" I scoffed. "She's elated."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"You weren't worried, were you?"

"Just a bit, yeah."

I brought the phone back to my ear. "Mum? Mum! Oh, for the love of—I'll owl for visit you later. Alright?"

I ended the call and handed George the phone.

He lifted an eyebrow. "Did I hear your mum say something about marrying a ginger?"

"You might have."

"Do I want to know?"

"Right," I sighed. "Well, I think it's something you might need to know. It will definitely come up in conversation when you meet my grandparents."

"Uh-oh."

I took a deep breath and began to explain my family's fixation with hair color traits. "My grandmother is Irish and my grandfather is Scottish. Both happen to have red hair and freckles. My mum, as you know, does not, and that's 'cause dark features skip generations on my grandfather's side. My grandparents wanted my mum to have red hair, but once their hopes were dashed, they set their sights on a ginger grandchild."

George glanced at my haphazard hair. "I take it they were disappointed with how you came out."

"Just a bit. But there was nothing they could do, honestly. I mean, the House of Black has a bit of a history with dark hair with a few exceptions. Once they realized my mum and Sirius were…well…serious, they backed off. Set to ensuring I would marry someone with red hair, instead. They definitely kept up hope that I'd somehow have fiery locks well after I was born in my dad's likeness. As for now, my grandfather has pretty much let the whole thing rest. He says he's too old to be arsed with it all. Gran hasn't really dropped it, despite the fact that Mum and I have tried to explain that even if I were to marry someone with red hair, our child likely wouldn't share the trait. I guess if you and I have kids someday, we'll find out if Gran is right.

"So you see," I finished, "while one half of my family cares quite a bit about magical blood status, the other is just striving for a continuation of red hair."

"Blimey, that's...wow." George blinked. "I guess I'll have to prepare myself for when I meet them."

"Definitely. George?"

"Hm?"

"This hasn't changed your mind at all, has it?"

He kissed my forehead. "Not in the slightest."


	5. Gran and Grampee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/2017

"Why is it we travelled by Floo again?" asked George. "Apparating would've been much cleaner."

"Mum dislikes it when I apparate into the house." I reminded. "I don't understand why, but it startles her."

I brushed soot away from George's shirt and wiped his cheeks with my thumbs. Once he was clean, I set to fixing my own appearance. The sitting room of my childhood home would have been so comforting had I not been so incredibly anxious. I could hear my grandmother in the kitchen down the hall and the sound of the television coming from the den. Mum's laughter rang out. George studied the mantle where there were several pictures of me at various ages, a few of my grandparents, and at least five of mum and dad at different stages of their relationship.

"Now, my grandparents are here, so don't be nervous."

"If they're as nice as your mum, I think I'll be alright."

My palms began to sweat. I furiously rubbed them against my skirt. Why was I so nervous?

George took my hand and whispered, "Deep breath, Sarah-doll."

I nodded once. "You're right. It'll be fine. No worries."

"Is that my daughter's voice I'm hearing?"

The sound of feet plodding across the hardwood grew closer. I knew those steps, they were part of my mum's usual leisurely pace about the house whenever she was barefoot. An average-sized woman in a green peasant dress came into view from the adjacent hallway. Mum's hair had grown since I'd last seen her. It was jarring to see it down her back, I'd always known her with hair that fell to her breasts at its longest. She held a mug of tea in her hand and beamed at the sight of us. Mum set her tea on the coffee table, then hurried over to us.

I grinned back. "Hi, mum."

"Is that all you can say? You brought George! The least you could say is _we're here!_ You know, jump up and down, show us the ring. At least look excited to give me the news." She kissed both of my cheeks then turned her attention to my fiance. "Honestly. Can you believe it, George? Me daughter's engaged and graduated and brings her fella, and all she says his _hi, mum_."

George gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's good to see you again, Mrs. Stone-Black."

"Don't be so formal, dear. You're me son now."

I ran my hand through my hair. "Well, mum, I'm a bit nervous to introduce George to Gran and Grampee. Sorry if I'm not exactly spazzing out."

"Sweetheart, what're you nervous for? They'll love 'im."

Before I could say anything else, mum grabbed George's hand and pulled him out of the room. I followed them to the kitchen where a thin, older woman stood whisking something in a large plastic bowl. A cookbook levitated just above the sink, in which dishes were washing themselves. Gran wore a white shirt beneath jean overalls with the legs rolled up to her knees. She had a purple flowery apron tied around her waist. Her greying auburn hair hung in two French braids that stopped just above her shoulders. Her horn rim glasses hung on a beaded chain around her neck.

"Sylvia, who's th—Ah! Sarah-bearah!" Gran set the bowl aside and held her arms out. I'd missed hearing the lilt of her voice, and sound of her accent. It'd been at least a year since I'd seen her. "Look at you! Have you grown? Get over here and give us a hug!"

I did as I was told. "Hi, Gran. I'm graduated...and engaged. Dunno if mum told you."

"That she did. It's luck you're here. I made your favorite."

"Apple pie?"

"It's in the oven as we speak. Is this the fella?" She lifted her glasses and placed them on her nose. "What's his name?"

"George, ma'am." George held out his hand. "I'm George Weasley."

I gestured at my grandmother, "This is Grandma Stone. We call her Gran. Gran, this is my fiance, George."

"I've heard good things." Gran shook his hand and gave him a once over, then looked at mum. "You're right, he is ginger."

"Why would I lie about something like that?" said mum.

"I dunno, Sylvia Reilly. You like to play jokes sometimes, I thought this was another one of yours. Now, George, you say you're a Weasley? Why does that sound so familiar? Oh, I know! You wouldn't happen to be related to the Weasley's that run the joke shop in Diagon Alley, are you?"

George nodded, "Yes, ma'am. I am. I run the shop with my twin brother, Fred."

"He's a twin, no less. Sylvia, why didn't you tell me Sarah was seeing a twin?"

Mum rolled her eyes, "I told you that, mum. You probably weren't listening."

"Don't be rude," Gran snapped back.

"Blimey, what's all the commotion about?"

A balding man with graying-red hair, freckles, and brown eyes shuffled into the room. He was slightly round and wore khakis and a red and silver Wigtown Wanderers sweater. Grampee might not have gotten used to the Wizard communication, but for a Muggle, he certainly loved Quidditch.

"Who is that bean sprout?" He pointed at me. "That can't be me granddaughter."

"It is me, Grampee!" I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Good to see you, Sarah. What's this about you being engaged? To whom? Sylvia, you let this happen?"

George cleared his throat, "To me. Hello, sir, I'm George Weasley. I'm your granddaughter's fiancé."

Grampee shook his hand, then turned to my Gran. "He's a ginger, you oughta be happy about that."

"Don't worry," said Gran. "I am!"

"Well, welcome to the family, lad. You can call me Grampee. You're a wizard, I reckon?"

"Yes, sir," nodded George. "I'm also a twin, his name is Fred. Sarah and I met her first year. She sat by us after she was sorted into Gryffindor. Sarah told me you were a Muggle. My dad works in the Muggle artifacts department at the Ministry. He finds Muggles fascinating. He'll probably have so many questions for you when you two meet."

Grampee laughed, "Relax, my boy! No need to be nervous. Sounds like your dad and I will get on just fine then! Can't wait to meet him. You like Quidditch?"

"Definitely. Fred and I were Beaters at Hogwarts."

"Really? Well, when you're done with the lasses, come down to the den. I have a slew of memorabilia."

Grampee grabbed a bowl of peanuts from the counter and headed out of the room. Gran and mum watched him leave, then turned to me. Mum was the first to speak.

"Let's see that ring, Sarah."

I held my hand out at arm's length and she and my mum crowded around it. "I like it a lot. I think George did a great job at picking it."

"Look at the diamonds. Mumsy, get a look at this."

"Oh! It's beautiful!" Gran removed her glasses. "You have great taste."

"Thanks." George wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. I giggled as he kissed my cheek.

"Look how sweet they are."

"They fit." Mum looked at the both of us then waggled her eyebrows. "You two shagged last night, didn't you?"

My cheeks grew pink. I exchanged glances with George, whose ears had gone red. He struggled to find words.

Gran slapped mum's arm. "Sylvia Reilly! You leave that poor girl alone. It's none of your beeswax if the girl got her hole last night! Come on. Let's give these two some privacy now that you've embarrassed them."

Once they left, I immediately faced George and hooked my arms around his neck. I wanted to apologize for my mum and Gran. But I didn't because he's laughing and I've started to laugh, too.


	6. Moving In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/2017

"Sarah!"

I continued to sort through my belongings, "I'm in the bedroom, George!"

Two weeks had passed since George had met my family. During our visit, the two of us discussed places to stay, whether it is a flat or a house. Little did we know that my grandmother had something in mind for such an occasion. There was a house where my mum grew up that was given to Gran after my great grandmother had passed away. It was cozy with two levels, three bedrooms, two and half baths, a den, a living room, and a kitchen. Gran and Grampee had moved out of the house after my mum graduated from Hogwarts. They wanted to downsize into a smaller house that they could comfortably grow old in. Not wanting to sell the house that had been in her family for so long, Gran decided to save it for her grandchild. She told me matter-of-factly that she wanted to be sure that her grandson or granddaughter "would have an adequate place to conceive ginger babies".

Neither George nor I wanted to accept such a gift. It was too much. After quite a bit of convincing, we accepted. George jokingly asked me if we should consult Professor Trelawney, that maybe she could foresee the hair color of our future child.

"Here's the last one," George placed a box beside me.

I kissed his cheek and said a quick, "Thanks, love!"

Our clothes continued to hang themselves in our closets, while our other belongings arranged themselves on shelves. I wiped a stray hair from my eyes and tightened my ponytail. With a wave of my wand, the bed made itself. I watched George slide the sleeves of his shirt further up his arm before waving his wand to adjust a few wonky picture frames and pieces of furniture.

George glanced over his shoulder at me, "Sarah-doll, can you check downstairs and see if you like it?"

I quickly went down the stairs and into the living room. The couch sat against the wall with two chairs on either side of it. In the center of the floor lay a rug and the fireplace, now with added Floo capabilities, rested on the opposite wall. I moved to the kitchen where all the dishes lied in the cabinets and the appliances were working properly. I entered the den and a couch sat in front of a television with Quidditch posters and pennants, book, and other knick-knacks on the surrounding shelves and walls. I smiled to myself. There was no way we were changing Grampee's favorite room. The guest half bathroom was set, along with the guest bedroom. Some of the house had furnishings and attributes that my Gran and Grampee had left when they'd moved out, and that George and I were actually quite fond of. After I adjusted the position of a few books, my job of checking downstairs was complete.

"Finished!" George called.

I hurried up the stairs, past the second guest bedroom, the bathroom, and into our bedroom. I looked around the room in disbelief. He was right.

"Blimey," I sighed. "We're...we're finished."

George nodded, "We're finished!"

As final pillow floated into place, George and I fell backward onto the bed and sighed. We'd done it. After a week of packing, painting, and decorating, our house was exactly the way George and I had wanted it. We'd agreed that George would still have a bed at the shop with Fred for the night before our wedding and any nights he worked late. Besides, I knew them well enough to know that oftentimes they concocted their best ideas just after they'd poured themselves into bed. I recalled falling asleep on the sofa a few times during the last two summers and overhearing quite a few interesting plans as I dozed off.

I reached over and took George's hand in my own. He ran his thumb over my knuckles, then brought my hand to his lips. We looked at each other. I smiled.

"Georgie?"

"Yes, Sarah-doll?"

"We're home."

George rolled onto his side and kissed the tip of my nose. "That we are."

I giggled at the feeling. We moved into a snogging session sooner than we realized. George's hands brushed against my neck and chin. I held onto his jaw and deepened the kiss. His tongue dipped past my parted lips. I found myself on top of George, one hand holding myself up, the other unzipping his pants. He squeezed my bottom, causing me to gasp. Suddenly, there was a soft hoot. We jumped apart at the sight of the brown barn owl glaring at us from the headboard. Our cheeks reddened. This owl arrived at the right time. If we were going to continue to behave this way, we needed to shut the windows. Neither of us were particularly quiet in the final throes.

I apologized to the owl and it dropped an envelope on a pillow.

"What do you think it is?" asked George.

"No idea."

As soon as the seal was broken, the envelope began to alter itself. George and I watched as the seal lifted into two eyes and the wax seal molded into a mouth. The envelope rose before me and spoke in a casual male voice:

_"Dear Ms Sarah Stone-Black,_

_Your application for the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Games and Sports in the British and Irish Quidditch League division has been received. After your interview last Thursday, we have decided that you are a perfect candidate for the job. Congratulations! We are excited to add you to our division. We await your owl agreeing to this position and we will return your owl with more information on when you start!_

_Yours Truly,_

_Devon Graham_

_P.S. Congratulations on your engagement to Mr. George Weasley! I personally wish you two the best of luck."_

I watched the envelope return to normal and drop to the bed. Excitement rose in my chest. I got the job. I'd almost forgotten that I'd applied for it a couple of weeks before graduation.

"Oh! I can't believe it!" I squealed. "I'm going to be organizing Quidditch matches! Holy shit...I'll be organizing the World Cup!"

George kissed me, "Congratulations, Sarah."

"I'll be working in one of the most laid-back departments in the Ministry."

"Hold on. Wasn't Bagman head of that department?"

"Him? Oh, he's long gone now. I think he left because of something to do with money for bets."

George snorted. "He owes a lot of people money."

"I know," I gave him a sympathetic glance. "Anyway, Devon Graham is head now, so I'll be working for a good one."

Grabbing a quill from the nightstand, I wrote a response to Devon explaining that I was happy to start and thanking him for my engagement well-wishes. I also asked about maternity leave, just in case. Once I was done, I gave the letter to the waiting owl and watched it take off.

George rested his chin on my shoulder, "We're getting married, your grandparents just gave us a house for our wedding present, and you have a new job. Everything is really happening, isn't it? I'm not dreaming, am I? I'm not going to wake up in bed with Fred telling me you rejected me?"

"No," I turned around and kissed him gently. "It's not a dream. It's all real."

Before I could blink, George had taken my lips with his. His hands held my head in place as he gave me a long, fiery kiss. I nipped at his lower lips when his pulled away, eager for more.

George rested his forehead against mine. "Brilliant."


	7. Moony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/2017

_Sarah ran toward the tall man screaming, "Uncle Moony! Uncle Moony!"_

_Sarah loved her uncle, Remus Lupin. He was Sarah's favorite person to be around out of her parents' friends. He always had chocolate. Always. And, to Sarah, this made Remus that much more amazing. Remus picked the young girl up and hugged her close. With each visit to their home, Sarah reminded him of her father._

_"Uncle Moony!"_

_"Ooh! You're getting so big." Remus set her feet on the floor. He crouched down to Sarah's level and looked into her eyes. "Are you behaving yourself for your mother?"_

_Sarah nodded vigorously._

_"Are eating your vegetables?"_

_Sarah nodded again._

_"Good." He reached into his pocket and handed her a small piece of chocolate. "There you are."_

_"Thank you!" The little girl popped the chocolate into her mouth._

_Sylvia watched her daughter run off and turned her attention to her friend who slowly stood. "She's me daughter all right. Little Chocoholic! No doubt, Sirius's too, eh?"_

_Remus chuckled, "Definitely. Is she still being mischievous?"_

_"Yes. I'm certain she turned her comb into a beetle on purpose yesterday morning."_

_"Oh?"_

_"I was combing her hair, and she was whingeing on as she does when I try to tame her locks. Suddenly, I was holding a beetle. She ran off, giggling like mad."_

_"I'll talk to her about that," said Remus, as he suppressed a grin. "While humorous, the last thing we want is for Sarah start using her magic with more harmful intentions."_

_"Agreed. Ugh, I don't know how I do it sometimes. How I raise her by me onesies, you know? Sometimes I think I'm doing an alright job, but then something like that happens and I worry—"_

_"Sylvia, you're doing an excellent job. Sarah's a sweet and bright girl. She won't go bad from one prank. Try not to think too much on it."_

_"Right as always, Remus." Sylvia took a calming breath. "I sometimes wonder what Sirius would do if he were here. I'm sure he'd tell me I worry too much. Not a day goes by that I don't miss me husband. Remus, I…" She covered her mouth with her hand and closed her eyes. It'd been three years since Sirius was incarcerated. Sylvia was left raising their now four-year-old by herself. They visited Sirius whenever they allowed him visitors, but it wasn't the same as having him home. "Remus, 's not fair. 'S not fair at all. Sarah and Harry were so young. They barely got to know Sirius—or even Lils and Prongs for that matter."_

_Remus pulled her into his arms just as she broke down. He held her close and listened to her sobs. Remus remembered what he had promised to Sirius before he was taken to Azkaban. Since no one could watch over Harry, what with him being in the hands of Muggles, Sirius wanted to ensure the protection of his wife and child in his absence. Remus agreed to the task. He made sure he checked on Sarah and Sylvia once a week, sometimes twice if he was feeling up to it. He missed a fortnight whenever the moon phased against his favor. However, Remus was almost always there for the Black family. He babysat Sarah whenever Sylvia worked late, or when her parents couldn't look after the child. He even kept them safe during the period of time they were in hiding._

_There'd been a near falling out between Sylvia and himself after the Potter's passed. He'd believed it was Sirius's doing, but Sylvia had made it quite plain that this was not the case. She described what had happened, and mentioned that Peter was not trustworthy. Remus remained uncertain. Sylvia knew this, and stated in no uncertain terms that if he were to continue seeing both herself and Sarah, he would need to bury his doubt and help her teach Sarah the truth—that Sirius was innocent_. _She didn't want her daughter growing up to believe what many thought to be true about Sirius and the Potters, and Remus didn't blame her. Unwilling to lose another friend, he agreed to this. Sarah didn't deserve to have her uncle disappear on her simply due to the sins of her father. Remus couldn't do that to her. After all, she was just a child. He hoped that in time the truth, whatever it may be, would show itself._

_"Sometimes I feel like I'm failing Remus," she sobbed._

_"You are not failing," Remus emphasized. "You're doing your best."_

_"I want him, Moony. I want me husband. I miss him so much and if it wasn't for Pettigrew, I'd bloody well have him here with me. For me. For our daughter."_

_"I know. I miss him too."_

_"She asks about him, you know? It hurts. I thought that maybe after a few years I'd be less upset."_

_Remus reassured her, "We're all still upset, Sylvia. Those that know Sirius, and loved Lily and James aren't going to forget easily."_

_"I miss me Godson-"_

_"Mummy?"_

_Sylvia and Remus turned to see Sarah standing between them. Her eyes were wide and her hair hung in a mess of waves around her face. She held a stuffed rabbit in her arms. It was a soft and yellow thing that had been well-loved over the years. The Potters had brought it when Sarah was born, and it had been her favorite toy ever since._

_"Mummy, why are you crying?" asked Sarah. "Did I do something bad? Uncle Moony, was I bad?"_

_"No, love," Remus smiled reassuringly. "You have been wonderful."_

_Sylvia wiped her own eyes. Crying was something she tried not to do in front of her daughter. She knelt down to Sarah's level, kissed her forehead, and stroked her cheeks. "No. Sweetheart, you weren't bad at all. Mummy's just upset right now."_

_"Is it 'cause of daddy?"_

_"Yes, sweet pea. But he did nothing wrong. Mummy loves you and your daddy very much."_

_"Then why were you crying?"_

_"Because I get a little sad when I think about him. He's my fella and I miss him is all."_

_"Oh, okay," Sarah frowned. "When's daddy coming home?"_

_"Just a wee bit longer," Sylvia reassured her._

_She hoped the answer would be satisfactory for the four-year-old, but Sarah was smarter than that, and knew there was something her mother wasn't telling her. "How much longer?"_

_Sylvia sighed, "Nine years."_

_The small girl made a face. Sylvia sucked in her breath. Remus picked her up to stop her from wailing. Sarah's lips settled into a pout and both adults sighed in relief. Neither Sylvia nor Remus wanted to deal with a crying Sarah who, once she started, didn't stop for what seemed like hours. He rubbed Sarah's back, hoping she would respond positively. She did. Sarah rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck._

_Even after four years of caring for Sarah, Remus still wasn't quite used to being an uncle. When Sarah was a baby, Remus had fed, rocked, and changed her. As she grew, he'd held the bucket when she'd gotten sick, and wiped her nose when she'd had a cold. He'd even read her the stories from Tales of Beedle the Bard so frequently, he could recite a few of them by heart. It'd been difficult at times to hold himself responsible for Sarah, but his kindness helped him carry on and things grew easier._

_"Sarah, it will go by faster than you know it," lied Remus._

_Sarah was at the age where she had a better understanding about what had happened to Sirius, and why he wasn't there with her and Sylvia. It would be a long nine years. He knew he shouldn't have lied to her, but for some reason he couldn't help it._

_Sarah raised her head and looked at her uncle. She held up her right pinky, "Promise?"_

_Remus linked his pinky with hers, "I promise."_

_She went to kiss his cheek when something made her stop. Sarah touched a scar that went from his cheekbone down to the corner of his mouth. "Uncle Moony?"_

_"Yes, Sarah."_

_"What happened? Your face looks hurt."_

_Remus sighed. The scar was fresh since the last time he'd been over. Sylvia was fully aware of Remus's secret, but Sarah had been too young to understand completely. He glanced at Sylvia who gave a small nod. It was time to tell Sarah the truth about her uncle. He settled into a nearby chair and Sarah sat on his lap._

_"Sarah," began Remus, "do you know why your uncle is named Moony?"_

_She furrowed her brow in thought. After a moment, she asked, "Does it have to do with the moon?"_

_"Yes, it does have to do with the moon. You see, Uncle Moony gets a little sick when the moon is full. He has to take a potion that will help him."_

_"Are you okay, Uncle Moony? You won't die, will you?"_

_"No, Uncle Moony isn't going to die. He just acts a little weird when the moon is full. He changes a bit. He's not himself."_

_"Oh…"_

_"And sometimes he gets hurt when he changes. When he does, he's not human anymore."_

_"Oh! Mummy says daddy changes into a dog."_

_"Ah, see that's where your daddy and I are different. I change into a wolf."_

_Sarah's eyes grew wide._

_"Don't be scared." Remus stroked her hair. "See, your Uncle Moony won't hurt you. Do you ever wonder why I'm not around sometimes?"_

_She nodded._

_"It's because I don't want to hurt you. If the moon is full, or is going to be full, your Uncle Moony can't come play with you. He doesn't want you, your mum, or anyone he cares about around when he's a wolf. It's because he wants you to be safe. Do you understand?"_

_"So…you change into a wolf when the moon is full?"_

_"Yes, Sarah, I do."_

_Sarah tilted her head. "Can you change into a wolf right now?"_

_"No, I can't. Remember what you just asked me? You asked if I turned into a wolf when the moon is full, and I said yes. See, I can only be a wolf when the moon is full. When your daddy changes into a dog, he can do it whenever he wants to. He can do it because he chooses to. Your Uncle Moony can't choose when he turns into a wolf."_

_"Oh. I'm sorry, Uncle Moony."_

_"It's quite alright. It's not your fault."_

_"Uncle Moony, when you change, who hurts your face?"_

_Remus swallowed. He'd hoped that by discussing his werewolf side, she'd forget his scars. "No one hurts me, Sarah. I hurt myself."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because," he placed his hand on the center of his chest, "the wolf inside me makes me."_

_Sarah gasped and then frowned. Her eyes narrowed. Huffing, she pointed her finger at his chest,_

_"You listen to me, wolf! Leave my Uncle Moony alone!"_

_Sylvia covered her mouth while Remus stared down at Sarah with a small smile._

_"He's my Uncle Moony and you need to stop hurting him, 'kay? 'Cause I said so! Leave him alone! You're hurting him and he doesn't like it and I don't either so stop it! If you don't, I'll get cross again and yell at you again and, and, and…and I'll tell your mummy!" She folded her arms and nodded, feeling as if she'd finally put the wolf in its place. She hugged Remus tightly. "I think the wolf's gone, Uncle Moony. If not, just tell me, 'kay?"_

_Remus returned the hug. "Okay. Thank you, Sarah. That was very brave of you to stand up to a wolf like that for me."_

_"You're welcome, Uncle Moony."_


	8. Work and Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fast forwards a month.
> 
> Edited 2/2017

"Sarah, there's another one on your desk. Looks to be from Sweden."

I glanced at the ever growing pile of letters from various countries. All of them were requests to for information about the upcoming All-Stars Match, the Quidditch World Cup, and other major matches that were fast approaching. I'd just managed to clear my desk of any letters, souvenir proposals, player forms, forbidden items lists, and other match related paperwork the day before. I took to stacking the envelopes so I could sort through them another time.

"Dean," I asked, "did all of this get here just now?"

"Most of 'em came while you lot were in that meeting with Graham," said Seamus Finnigan.

I nodded. The meeting I'd just left included me, Dean Thomas, Devon, and a few other members of the British and Irish Quidditch League. We sat around the fire as the manager for the French National Quidditch Team talked back to us from the flames. We discussed the possibility of them being showcased in the All-Stars Match with other major teams. Frankly, all they wanted was to show off their special move, the Blitzen Ballet. I can't blame them, though. It helps them win almost all of their matches.

"And how was it you weren't there?" Dean turned to Seamus.

"Had nothing to do with me." Seamus lifted a box marked DO NOT IGNITE and said, "I don't talk to the teams until after their set for the matches. There's no use in planning fireworks for a team that might not be admitted."

Suddenly, a grey owl swooped in from the window and dropped a red letter in front of me before flying off again.

I picked it up. "Oh great, it's from Bulgaria, fellas."

"Not them again."

Bulgaria had been our most high maintenance team to deal with. They were constantly owling us trying to find ways into the ASM without filling out the right paperwork, and they'd already made plans as if they knew they're going to be accepted.

"This better not be a Howler. Because if they're going to yell at me, that's certainly not the way to get into the ASM."

"If it's a Howler, it's probably 'cause you told them no," mentioned Dean.

"Did they seriously think I was going to allow them to have their own special mid-game show featuring every major player their team has had?" I plopped down in my chair and rubbed my eyes. "I'm sorry, but that is the most outrageous thing to ask for when there's been over a hundred. We'd be there all night!"

"Yeah, and then I'd have to shoot flares into the sky behind each person," said Seamus. "Do you know how much that is? Sending thousands of flares bursting in the sky behind beaters that can't guard worth a damn? What a waste!"

My eyebrows shot up. "Oh, I didn't hear that one. They didn't want any moving works? Just the regular bursts in the sky?"

"Yes, the boring blighters."

Dean and I burst into laughter. I loved working with Dean and Seamus. The two of them made planning matches amazing. On McGonagall's recommendation, Seamus got a position as the pyrotechnic coordinator for the World Cup and other Quidditch events. His particular proclivity for pyrotechnics, as she put, proved to be just what we needed. Of course, wherever Seamus was, Dean was sure to follow. He was hired by the Foreign Affairs and Sports Department, and works with me in the Department of International Magical Cooperation to ensure things run smoothly during and after planning.

"Hand me the letter, Sarah. I'll owl them back," Dean suggested. "Besides, don't you have to go to the Weasley's?"

"What for—? Oh!" I'd almost forgotten. I promised George I'd meet him at the Burrow to do more planning our wedding. "Oh, damn! What time is it?"

"It's nearly six," said Seamus. "Gonna be late, aren't ya?"

I quickly grabbed my bag and started stuffing papers inside. "No, not if I apparate now. Thank you so much, boys. What would I do without you two? Do you have everything covered?"

"We've got it," said Dean. "Go, go!"

"See you tomorrow!"

Seamus waved me off. I lifted my bag over my shoulder and disapparated. As I arrived at the Burrow with a loud crack, I half expected to find Mrs. Weasley to enter the room. Instead, I was greeted by Mr. Weasley.

"Ah, Sarah, you're here."

"I am." I set my bag beside the sofa. "How're you doing?"

He smiled. "Well, thanks for asking."

"Is George here, yet?"

"Yes, he and Fred are upstairs. But, before you go, I was wondering if I could ask you something?"

Slightly taken aback, I lifted my eyebrows. Huh? tumbled from my lips before I could stop it. Mr. Weasley chuckled and I realized quickly how awful my reaction sounded. "Sorry. It's been a long day. Of course, ask me anything."

"First, let's sit down."

I followed Mr. Weasley's lead and sat on the sofa while he settled in the chair across from me. After clasping my hands together in my lap, I looked at my future father-in-law expectantly. I hadn't the faintest idea what he wanted to ask, but whatever it was, it seemed serious.

"Now, Sarah," he began, "at the wedding reception, it's customary for there to be a dance between the bride and her father. Given the circumstances with Sirius, I'm curious if you've put any thought into whom you will dance with instead?"

The question took me even further off guard. "I hadn't give it any thought, actually," I admitted. "Do you have anyone in mind?"

The father-daughter dance was the farthest thing from my mind. My grandfather and Lupin were really the only prominent men in my life next to Sirius. I honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to dance with my grandfather. Lupin would gladly do it if I asked. However, depending on the moon, he might not be feeling well enough.

"I do. Sarah, I know I'm not Sirius, but I was wondering if maybe you would consider dancing with me? After all, you'll be my daughter when the wedding comes 'round."

My jaw slackened. That was one of the nicest things I'd heard since the day Mrs. Weasley saw me at WWW last summer, and said she wished George would hurry up and make me her daughter-in-law. I wasn't sure why I hadn't considered it before, but Mr. Weasley had become a surrogate father the moment Fred, George, and I became close first year

"I'll do more than consider it, Mr. Weasley," I said. "I'll accept. I'd love to dance with you. Um, can you dance well?"

He grinned and got to his feet. "Oh, I know a thing or two."

I watched as he placed a vinyl record on a turntable in the corner. With a bow, Mr. Weasley offered me his hand. A familiar song began to play and I felt a pull in my chest.

I took his hand. "How did you...?"

"George told me how your dad liked to sing this song to you. I figured why not dance to it in his memory?"

Mr. Weasley wasn't joking when he said he knew how to dance. As we swayed slowly to the music, and I could feel myself beginning to miss my dad. The thought of Sirius's ghost watching Mr. Weasley and I dance at my wedding caused a knot to form in my throat. The reality of my father not being there to struck me like a bludger to the stomach. Who would walk me down the aisle? Mr. Weasley? Lupin? Mum? Or would I walk alone? Sirius already wasn't there to congratulate me on my graduation or engagement, and it made me sad that he'd continue to miss so much. I wouldn't get to see the look on his face when he found out he was right about me marrying a Weasley twin. If I had a child, he wouldn't be there to assist Fred and George in showing her or him the art of pranks. _Dream on, but don't imagine it'll all come true..._

The lyrics hit me hard.

"Sarah? Sarah, are you alright?"

Mr. Weasley snapped me out of my thoughts. I tried to take a breath but sobbed instead. A few tears dropped from my jaw, and I realized I was crying. My bottom lip trembled as I looked up at him. I started to blubber an apology. He shushed me and pulled me into his chest. I buried my face in the knitted fibers of his vest, allowing myself to cry. There were footsteps rumbling down the stairs. Ginny called for me, as did George, but I didn't let go of Mr. Weasley. For a moment, I was afraid that if I did he'd disappear, or worse. He rested his chin on my head and rubbed my back.

"It's okay, dear. It's quite alright. Let it out."


	9. Will You?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/2017

_"Um, Sarah?"_

_I glanced up from my letter to my mum to look at George. His eyes were shifting from right to left, almost as if he were looking around to see if anyone could see him. I made a face, "Are you alright?"_

_"Um, yeah, I'm fine. Can…Can we talk for a minute? You know, in private?"_

_We were sitting in the Great Hall with a several other students during our free time. The Triwizard Tournament was more than underway and the Yule Ball was just around the corner. Fred and Angelina were discussing their ball plans down the table from us, while Harry and Ron were searching for dates. Hermione, not surprisingly, was working diligently on an essay. A few of us, like me, Ginny, and Neville were writing letters home. Students in other houses were doing similar things. Although all of them were minding their own business, I could see that whatever George needed to speak to me about was both crucial and confidential._

_"Sure," I said, dipping my quill in ink. "Let me finish this sentence and we can go for a walk. I hope that's okay. I sort of need to get this to the Owlery."_

_George smiled. "That's perfect, actually. It will give us time to talk."_

_I finished jotting down the last of my letter and sealed it into an envelope. After putting my quills, ink, and parchment into my bag, I got to my feet. "Are you ready?"_

_He nodded, and the two of us set off toward the Owlery. Snow fell heavily as we entered the castle courtyard. The Beauxbatons girls were bundled up and walking together. A few Durmstrang boys hurled snowballs at one another. Various Hogwarts students were spread out in places studying or making snowmen._

_"So," I tightened my scarf, "what did you need to talk to me about, Georgie?"_

_George shook his head and said, "Not here. Let's get past the courtyard and then we can talk."_

_"O-kay? I reckon this must be serious then, right?"_

_"Right."_

_We left the courtyard and entered the grounds. Feeling the cold air around me, I pulled my knit hat down over my eyebrows and adjusted my scarf so that it sat tight over my nose and loose around my neck. I stopped walking, taking a moment to pull on my mittens. I looked at him expectantly. There was hardly anyone around, making it the perfect time for him to talk. He must have agreed._

_"I wanted to ask you a question, Sarah." His shaggy hair blew in the wind underneath his knit hat and his nose was slightly red. George stuffed his gloved hands in the pockets of his robes. "Sarah, I was wondering…are you going to the ball with anyone?"_

_I chuckled and pulled my scarf down. That's what was so secretive? "No." I replied. "No one's asked me out ye—wait! I take that back. One of Krum's friends asked me to the ball."_

_"Oh."_

_"But I told him no."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah. I think his name was Aleksandar, or something with an 'A'. I don't really remember. That makes me sound awful, doesn't it?"_

_"Not really."_

_"He seemed a little upset that I'd turned him down, you know. It was almost as if he'd never been turned down by a girl before." I shrugged. "He wasn't my type anyways. I'm pretty much dateless for the ball. I figured someone better would probably come along and, if not, I'd go alone and-"_

_"Willyougototheballwithme?" blurted George._

_I honestly think I stopped breathing for a moment. I dropped my letter in the snow. George was asking me to the Yule Ball. Or at least I thought he was. When I had gotten over the initial shock, I picked up my slightly soggy letter. I hoped the ink hadn't run._

_"I'm sorry," he said. He was apologizing for the letter, but something told me it was also for surprising me with that question._

_"W-what?" I blinked._

_"I didn't mean to make you drop that. It's not totally ruined is it?"_

_"Huh? What? No, not that, the letter's fine. George…I'm sorry…what did you say about the ball?"_

_He took my hands in his. "Sarah, will you go to the ball with me?"_

_"I—you're serious?"_

_"As serious as I am about pranks. Look, Sarah-doll, I want to go to the ball with you."_

_A few snowflakes flew into my mouth. I mentally shook my head and closed my lips. Shuffling my weight from one foot to the other, I looked down at my letter. George meant a great deal to me. Fred did as well, but there was something about George. I wasn't quite sure if I had greater feelings for him than those of close friendship. Judging by the sudden warmth in my cheeks, there must have been something there that I wasn't aware of just yet._

_George hung his head at my silence. "I understand if you don't want to go with me, Sarah. I know we've been friends for a long time, but I want to go with you cause I really fa—"_

_"Yes," I uttered. I could feel myself smiling. "Sure, of course."_

_"You will?"_

_"Of course! It'll be brilliant."_


	10. A Veil of a Different Kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/2017

"When do you want the wedding?"

Ginny pulled up a chair next to me at the Weasley's dining room table. Hermione dipped a quill in ink, wrote 'wedding plans' on a piece of parchment, and drew a line underneath it. As much as I wanted to marry George this very second, I didn't want to have the wedding until after Ginny graduated.

"How's next September? Ginny will be out of Hogwarts, and I'll have little over a year to get things settled."

"A summer wedding would be gorgeous," Hermione noted.

"Speaking of gorgeous, what color should the girls wear?" asked Ginny. "Have you decided?"

I shrugged, "Hadn't thought of it, really."

"It's understandable. You've only been engaged for a month."

"What colors do you two think?"

"Green?" offered Hermione.

I shook my head. As much I liked the color, I didn't necessarily want the girls to wear it.

"Blue!" asked Ginny.

"I don't think so." I picked up a Muggle wedding magazine my mum gave me and thumbed through it, while Ginny and Hermione continued to name off colors.

Hermione pointed at a group of girls on the page. "Magenta—wait, no."

"Exactly. That's the color of the robes at the shop. I'd much rather a softer color. A lilac, perhaps?"

"What about peach?" Ginny suggested. "All the girls could wear peach dresses and the blokes could wear peach ties."

"That's a good idea, Gin! I like that."

Hermione added the color to the list. "You could make the second color white. It's soft and sweet, and there wouldn't be much clashing with hair colors."

"Excellent idea. Peach and white, it is! Thanks, you two. Honestly, I would be lost. Thanks to Fred and George, the only thing that comes to mind is how to incorporate some sort of prank into my wedding."

Ginny smiled, "That's what we're here for. Speaking of my brothers, where are they? It's far too quiet in the house."

She was right. It'd been at least an hour since Fred, George Ron, and Harry disappeared somewhere. I knew wherever George was, Fred would likely be. The same went for Ron and Harry.

"Harry!"

There was no answer.

Hermione raised her voice, "Ron!"

Again, there was no answer. I readied myself to call for George when an idea sprung into my head. I leaned back in my chair to make sure Mrs. Weasley was still far outside picking vegetables. The coast was clear.

"Georgie!" I said in a singsong accent. "I'm not wearing any knickers!"

There was a crack beside me. George kissed my cheek, "What was that about not wearing knickers?"

"Relax, you. I'm wearing knickers. I just needed to get your attention and you disappeared."

Three more cracks cut through the air as Fred, Harry, and Ron apparated into the room.

Fred ruffled my hair, "We were busy doing top secret things that you needn't worry yourself about."

"You're not all planning to make us wear anything ugly, are you?" said Harry, looking from Ginny to Hermione and me. "Green goes best with my eyes."

"Yeah, and I don't want to wear anything with lace." Ron lifted his chin. "I'd rather nothing frilly."

Ginny snorted, "Relax, you two."

Just then, Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen and placed her basket of vegetables on the counter. She smiled at all of us. "Oh, look at you all! How did I get so lucky to get such a beautiful family?"

Of course, she was talking about her children, but we all knew that deep down she was really referring to Harry, Hermione, and me. The fact that Ginny and Harry, Hermione and Ron, Angelina and Fred, and George and I were paired brought her a fair amount of joy.

"So," Mrs. Weasley clapped her hands together, "did you girls decide on a color?"

I nodded once. "Yes. We decided white and peach would be best."

"Peach? Oh, I have just the thing."

She walked purposefully into the living room, while all of us followed her curiously. We watched as Mrs. Weasley knelt down by a trunk at the side of her rocking chair, and rummaged around in it for a few moments.

"Mum?" asked Ginny. "What is it you're looking for?"

Mrs. Weasley pulled something long and thin from the trunk. "This. Quickly, George, shut your eyes.

"But I want to see," George protested.

Fred slapped a hand over his twin's eyes. "Not a chance! You'll spoil your wedding day."

"Fred is right," Mrs. Weasley shook her finger at him. "You're not going to see Sarah in any wedding attire until she's walking down the aisle. So help me, if you so much as try to peek through your brother's fingers—"

"Yes, mum," grumbled George.

"I saw this material a few months ago and, well, I'm glad I picked it. I started making it into a veil the moment you broke the news. Let's see how it looks on you. "

Mrs. Weasley carefully placed it atop my head, and navigated me to a mirror so I could see how it looked for myself. I gasped. It was soft and blush-colored and reached my bottom. As she fluffed the tulle, I admired the pattern of flowers around the edge.

"I stitched them myself. Do you like it?"

I nodded. "I do. How do I look?"

"Gorgeous, Princess," Fred gave a small smile. "Really. I speak for George and myself when I say that that is perfect. He's gonna love it."

"Can I see, please?" George begged.

"No!" cried everyone.

"Okay, okay."

I carefully took the veil off and handed it to Mrs. Weasley. "Mum, could you please hold on to this for me? You know, keep it safe until I start looking for dresses? I don't want George seeing this and getting any ideas."

She nodded knowingly, "Of course, dear."

Once the veil was tucked safely away and George opened his eyes, I set my sights on Harry. I really needed to talk to him about something I'd found the other day in the house. Harry followed me to the laundry room. I didn't know where to start so I just started talking.

"Y'know how my Grampee's a Muggle?"

Harry leaned against the wall, "Yeah. Has something happened?"

"No, no. He's quite all right." I wrung my hands. "It's just, since I moved into the house they left me, I found these tapes."

"What kind of tapes?"

"Home videos of me and you when we were little. I mean, real little, just babies."

Harry's face turned white.

"Yeah. That was my reaction, too."

"Are..." he looked straight into my eyes, "are my parents in any of the videos?"

I felt myself nod, "Lily, James, Sirius, Lupin, the whole lot of them. Except Pettigrew, not surprisingly considering...Anyway, there's a bunch of tapes that are labeled with things like 'Harry and Sarah' and 'Lily's Baby Shower'. I think there's even one called 'Prongs and Padfoot Babysit' or something like that. I don't know, it was some silly title."

"You're serious?"

"Yeah. I can't bring myself to watch them, at least not alone. George would watch them with me, so would Fred or mum. But I'd rather not though. They'd understand how I'd feel, but not as much as you would. We need to watch these tapes. Would you be up for doing that with me?"

Without hesitation, Harry nodded once and said, "Yeah. Yeah, alright."

"Really?"

"Sarah, it's a chance to see my parents before they died. To hear them talk in a situation where I'm not in danger of dying. You really think I'd pass that up? Let me know when you want to watch them. I'll be there."


	11. So Close

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/2017

_George admired how peaceful the Gryffindor common room was at this time of night. When he and Sarah settled onto the sofa, the Yule Ball had just ended. He'd expected the room to be filled with people chatting or snogging, unwilling to go to bed after such an eventful night. To his surprise, there were a handful of people around. That was hours ago and, from what he could tell, he and Sarah were the only ones left._

_He adjusted his arm behind his head. This particular couch certainly wasn't meant for two people to comfortably rest horizontally, but they had figured it out. He lied on his back with his legs stretched out before him, while Sarah curled up between him and the back cushions. She'd rested her head on his chest, and draped her left leg across his hip. It was an intimate position, one that reminded George just how confusing his feelings were for Sarah. He thanked Merlin for the layers of their dress robes, and his ability to control himself before she noticed. His body's involuntary reaction was embarrassing enough as it was._

_George glanced around the room as he absentmindedly ran his fingers though Sarah's hair. Their shoes and his jacket rested on the floor beside them. What was a crackling fire when they'd arrived, had died down to glowing embers. The pictures on the wall were sleeping. The Christmas tree in the corner twinkled in the moonlight from the windows. He turned his attention back to his date. How did he get a girl so funny and gorgeous to agree to go with him?_

_"You were so beautiful tonight, Sarah-doll," he said. "I had a great time tonight."_

_Sarah adjusted her position. "Me too. Thanks for asking me."_

_"I should be thanking you for saying yes."_

_"Anytime, Georgie."_

_He wanted to tell Sarah something, but he didn't know how to say it. Tonight was amazing. While he enjoyed dancing with her fast, George found the moments when they slowed things down especially memorable. He loved the way she looked tonight. Well, not just tonight, every night. Every day for that matter. He loved way her eyes lit up when he and Fred agreed to a prank, the way she giggled that day in Hog's Head when she drank cocoa and got whipped cream on her nose and lips, and the way she would bite her lip when she got anxious or had something exciting in mind for their shop. His heart filled with longing when she called him Georgie. How could he begin to tell her all of these feelings?_

_There'd been a lot of love and couples tonight. It was akin to Valentine's Day, but much more visible. Between the confessions, the dancing, and the public displays of affection, George realized the longer he looked at Sarah that he needed to say something to her about how he felt. And he needed to do it tonight._

_George tapped Sarah's back, "Hey…Sarah? Sarah?"_

_A light snore left Sarah's lips. He sighed. There was no use trying to wake her. George thought back to the ball and wanted to kick himself. They'd been so close to kissing._

* * *

_"So take your hands off me tonight, I'm breaking free this is the night!" George and Sarah sang together. "This is the night!"_

_He spun Sarah around. Her light blue dress twirled at her ankles. Her hair, which was pulled half up into an intricate bun, had started to fall into her natural waves. Their bodies rocked from side to side while they danced. Sarah laughed and spun around. He couldn't remember a time when he had had this much fun. Not even planning pranks with her and his twin compared to this. It was perfect._

_"Sarah!" George yelled over the music. "Are you having a good time?"_

_She smiled and yelled back, "Not good! Brilliant!"_

_As the song came to a close, it gave way to a slower song. George and Sarah stopped dancing and stepped closer to each other. Sarah draped her arms around his shoulders. Her heart skipped a beat at the sudden feeling of his hands on her hips and lower back as he pulled her closer._

_George guided their steps. "Did I mention that you look bloody beautiful tonight, Sarah-doll?"_

_"You did," said Sarah. "Did...did I tell you that you're rather dishy and handsome tonight?"_

_"I believe you did."_

_They swayed slowly together._

_"Sarah?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"I just..."_

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing's wrong." He shook his head, causing his hair to shake. "Everything is perfect and I wish it could always be like this."_

_"Me too." Sarah looked down then back up at George. "It's all so..."_

_"So what?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"Perfect...magical...romantic, brilliant?"_

_"All of the above."_

_George looked at Sarah for a moment and she at him. They slowly brought their faces closer together._

_"George! Hey George! Sarah!"_

_Before the two could kiss, Fred and Angelina danced close by. George swore in his head and Sarah blushed._

_"Oi, you two!" said Fred. "We're getting Butterbeers tomorrow after presents and breakfast."_

_Angelina nodded, "Want to join us?"_

_"Love to!" Sarah piped. "George?"_

_"Absolutely," said George._

* * *

_George was so close to kissing Sarah then, and he was so close to admitting his feelings now. He groaned. Perhaps one day he'd pluck up the courage and tell her how he felt. Hopefully he wouldn't be too late when he did._

_"Damn."_

_Just the thought of that saddened him. He let out a yawn. He really ought to have gone to bed by now. What time was it? He looked down at the thin baby blue watch on Sarah's wrist. It was three in the morning. He smiled._

_"Sarah." George shook Sarah's shoulder gently at first, then a bit harder._

_She groaned, her eyes still closed, "What's wrong?"_

_"Sarah, it's Christmas."_

_"Ohh..." she yawned. "Mm. Happy Christmas, Georgie."_

_"Happy Christmas, Sarah-doll."_

_After giving her a kiss on the top her head, George made himself comfortable against the cushions and drifted off to sleep._


	12. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/2017

"You have a microwave?"

I set a bowl of popcorn in front of Harry with a smile. "You seem surprised."

"It's just that, this is the Wizarding World, and that's a typically Muggle item," said Harry. "I didn't expect you to have one."

"Well, having a grandfather who's a Muggle definitely helps. Just so you know, this house has lots of Muggle things. You're welcome over anytime you find yourself wanting to eat microwave popcorn."

"Mr. Weasley would be so excited to come here."

I laughed. "Oh, I know! George and I plan on showing him everything in a few weeks."

Harry grabbed the bowl and we headed toward the living room. George had left Harry and I alone to watch the tapes while he went over to the shop to run inventory with Fred. He didn't want to get in the way of what was likely going to be an emotional experience for both of us. As I sat on the floor, I hoped the tapes would offer Harry and I everything we'd been expecting and more. I rummaged through the box of tapes, reading each title on the thick, black spines aloud to my godbrother. Each time I removed a tape and returned it, it clunk loudly against the others in the box. About fifteen tapes in, my hands brushed against something leathery.

"Where should we start?" asked Harry from the sofa. "I think Marauders, Harry, and Sarah sounds promising."

As I pushed the tapes towards the edge of the box, the dark green leather grew larger in width than in height. My heart started pound. I knew exactly what it was, but I couldn't believe it. My mom and I looked all over for this after my dad died. My grandparents had searched. None of us knew what had happened to it. Yet here it was, under our noses this entire time. I uttered Harry's name. It came out short but loaded, and sounded completely foreign to me. Harry sat beside me.

"Sarah, what is it?"

I continued to stare at the large leather bound book at the bottom of the box of tapes. Tears stung the corners of my eyes. I found it.

"Is that a photo album?"

I carefully lifted the photo album out of the box. It was thick, heavy, and slightly dusty. How did I not notice it in the box before? Why did it take so long to find it until now? I closed my eyes. Someone didn't want me to find it until now, at this moment, while I was with Harry.

"Take it you didn't know it was in there?" asked Harry.

I shook my head. I couldn't find words. Placing the book in my lap, I touched the cover. Harry placed his hand on top of mine and gave it a squeeze. I nestled the book in between us and looked at my godbrother.

My voice shook, "Harry, I'm..."

"Let's do this together."

We opened the cover and on the first page was a picture of Lily, James, Sirius, my mum, Lupin, and the two of us as babies. Lily held me while my mom kissed my cheek. James held Harry while Sirius tickled his stomach, causing him to giggle. They all periodically looked at the camera while Lupin knelt in the middle with a smile on his face.

"Sarah?"

"Harry?"

"Is this...?"

"Yes."

We turned the page. On the left was a picture of my mum and dad. Sirius stood, knees slightly bent, in front of my mum, who jumped up onto his back. Sirius carried her piggyback and two of them laughed as snow fell around them. They both wore coats and knitted hats.

"Your parents look so happy," Harry nudged me.

I pointed at the picture on the right page. "So do yours."

Lily and James smiled at the camera and James put up two fingers behind her head. She shoved him playfully, then kissed his cheek. He returned the favor with a kiss on her lips. Lily's locks were long and a bright shade of red that contrasted James's messy dark hair. Underneath the picture, in a neat handwriting that I didn't recognize, were the words James and I (three months pregnant!)

Harry and I turned the page. On the left was a picture of Lupin sitting on the floor, his legs stretched out in front of him. He looked exhausted and scattered around him were lettered blocks, shapes, and stuffed animals. Lupin held a baby girl under her armpits as he bounced her up and down. He said things that made her smile and she reached for his nose. I smiled at the picture of him and me.

"I wonder who that little monster is," Harry joked.

"Monster?" I snorted. "I reckon you mean him."

I pointed at the baby boy by Lupin's leg. The dark haired boy wore a purple onesie with swirls on it. Harry's small hands gripped the fabric of Lupin's pants. His mouth moved in a babbling motion and he reached up for the older man's attention. Under the picture, my mum's handwriting read Harry and Sarah with Uncle Moony. On the right page was a picture of me, my mum, and Sirius. My dad wore a dark blazer with a white shirt and black pants. My mum, in her black and white dress, stood beside him with me cradled in her arms. Sirius and my mum smiled at each other then turned their attention to me, cooing at me as I laughed. According to my dad's handwriting beneath the picture, I was four months old.

Harry and I looked through the photo book for a few more minutes, then took a break to watch one of the tapes. This one involved both our dads. Our mothers were somewhere off camera talking and laughing about how much they doubted that the boys could handle their children by themselves for more than two hours.

A small one-month-old baby Harry fussed in James's arms, his onesie-clad legs kicking as he cried. Sirius held me up to his shoulder, a protective hand on the back of my head. He swayed from side to side. My four-month-old self whined at the noise Harry made and cried with him.

" _Look what you've done," said my mum. "You've gone and upset both of them!"_

_"Harry," James adjusted Harry in his arms. "It's okay. I'm here."_

_"He know's you're not me," said Lily from behind the camera._

_"Oh, Sarah," Sirius leaned his head against mine and began to sing. "You know that when the truth is told…"_

_"Sirius, what are you doing?" James shook his head. "You're doing it wrong. Give me my goddaughter, let me show you how it's done."_

_Sirius chuckled and continued to sway, "'Show me how it's done?' I've been doing this a lot longer than you have, mate. Isn't that right, Sarah?"_

_"You're both doing it wrong," said my mom. "Look at your antsy babes—"_

_James looked at Sirius, "I'll trade you my son for your daughter."_

_Sirius smiled, "Deal!"_

Harry and I watched as James placed Harry in Sirius's arms and Sirius placed me in James's arms. Immediately, our younger selves stopped crying.

_Our fathers looked at the camera, "See, Lily."_

_"Sylvia, what are we going to do with our husbands?"_

Harry paused the movie, "Sarah?"

I looked at Harry, "Hm?"

"Thank you for sharing this with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the best chapter, but I had to update. It's been far too long without a chapter.


End file.
